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The second quarter of 2006 is already here! Now is a good time to check in on those New Year’s resolutions. So, how are you doing? If you’re like most people, you may be struggling to get things back on track. Statistics show a whopping 50% of resolutions don’t make it past January. By June, another 25% of this year’s resolutions will have fallen by the wayside. Don’t despair if you’ve been sidetracked. Research also shows that the biggest difference between the doers and the wannabes is a sound plan of action. In this quarter’s issue of Extraordinary LivingÔ, I will share strategies to help you re-focus your efforts.
While we find it easy to tackle a new project with unbridled energy and passion, it is commitment for the long haul that escapes us. When the going gets tough, it gets hard to tough it out. The key to victory is in the tortoise’s pace—slow, but steady. In our “all or nothing” society it is easy to gloss over life’s small successes. So we often end up feeling overwhelmed and tire ourselves out trying to have it all. When we finally obtain what we’ve worked for, we’re too busy to enjoy it.
In this month’s main article, Commit to the Chisel, we will look at the wonderful things that can be achieved over time with patience and commitment. In The Habits of Ants, I’ll share tips to help prevent burnout and discouragement. You will learn how to tap into your inner strength in order to tackle the big projects, challenges and obstacles for the long haul. New to Extraordinary LivingÔ is The Coach’s Corner. As a professional life coach, I know the powerful results that can be achieved in the supportive environment of a coaching relationship. Using ants (yes, ants) as our role models this issue’s Coach’s Corner will share practical action steps and power shifting questions to jumpstart the journey towards your vision.
I sincerely hope you enjoy this quarter’s Extraordinary LivingÔ. Even more, I pray that you will be inspired to make each day count towards your desired destiny. As always, I encourage you to make your life extraordinary!
Encouragingly yours,
Felicia T. Scott
Encouragement CoachÔ
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Commit to the Chisel
For nearly a year, it seemed as if every attempt I made to write ended in frustration. Words choked at my fingertips and wandered aimlessly in my mind. The usual release I experience with writing evaded me, leaving me emotionally dissatisfied. My efforts to write were rewarded by the teasing stare of a blank page. Initially, I assumed this block to be a part of the grieving process over the loss of my grandmother last June. Over time however, I sensed that I’d allowed my grief to morph into a blanket of discouragement that was covering my entire life.
You see, Oprah still hasn’t called to say how much she loves my book—she probably hasn’t even heard of it. I’m still waiting for my manager to tell me that I’ve made The New York Times bestseller’s list. I’ve dropped my handkerchief, but my Billy Dee Williams hasn’t come to pick it up. It would appear that I am truly off-schedule!
This just isn’t the way I envisioned my life playing out. For years, I’ve waited silently for my big break! That moment when the clouds part and the world realizes how much I have to offer. Well, after years of waiting, I’ve finally accepted that my big break may never come. It is in the power of factors beyond my control.
Let me be clear—I haven’t given up on my dreams. I’ve just adopted a new approach. Rather than looking for the big break, I am committing to the chisel! Like a sculptor who stands in front of a huge stone with just his tools and hands, I see a masterpiece in the making. If I continue to chisel away at the different areas of my life, eventually a work of art will emerge.
This past summer, my family and I traveled to various countries in Europe. On our stop in Italy, we were privileged to see Michelangelo’s David. Though I’d seen it in pictures, nothing prepared me for its magnificence. In Michelangelo’s hands, marble took on life and expression. Perhaps more amazing than the work itself is the story of vision behind it. Michelangelo’s David was fashioned out of a block of used stone that had been deemed worthless by two previous sculptors. Undaunted by the failures of others, Michelangelo put his chisel to work on the misshapen marble, integrating its “flaws” into his masterpiece.
As we analyze life’s obstacles and the messes we’ve made, we can feel tempted to give up. But before you surrender your passion to hopelessness, step back and get a new perspective. How would the situation change if you chisel at it with perseverance, patience and faith? Remember, you can’t experience the reward without committing to the process. The extraordinary is the result of what you do with your ordinary days!
To commit to the chisel means that we no longer begrudge time—we maximize it. It is a whole-hearted investment in your dreams, without attaching a time-line. It is understanding that sometimes we can’t have exactly what we want, when we want it—but never closing our eyes to the full range of options that are available to us at any given time.
I am sure that as Michelangelo fashioned the marble that would eventually become the world famous David, the other sculptors shook their heads and waited for him to realize the futility of his efforts. For three years, Michelangelo pursued a vision that only he could see. But after years of hard work, his vision for the stone transformed it. What was once discarded is now celebrated. It is a testament to what can be achieved when we harness time with an unwavering vision and a commitment to the chisel.
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Habits of the Ants
I’ve discovered why the ant is convinced that he can move the obstacle of the rubber tree plant. Though his high hopes may be a factor, he also has a winning strategy. Though small in size, he has vision and focus! He doesn’t see the greatness of the plant; he sees the small piece that he can impact. And he gives his all to moving it! The ant operates by the chisel principle, which states that over time the little we do every day has a significant impact.
One day while reading my Bible (Proverbs 30:24-25), I cross-referenced a few scriptures on the ant. Intrigued by my findings, I turned to the internet for more research and discovered some amazing facts.
1. Ants don’t multi-task—they specialize!
The division of labor is clear in ant colonies. Every ant has a role and function within the community that determines the tasks it will perform.
For many of us, burn out is the result of taking on more than we can productively manage. We frustrate ourselves with unrealistic expectations and make thirty-hour demands on a twenty-four hour day. Although multi-tasking may be today’s catch phrase in business, we all know the story of the Jack-of-all-Trades. He knew a little about a lot of things, but when it came to mastery—he was ignorant. You will always have various roles and responsibilities to juggle. The most important thing is to determine what matters most in your life at the moment. Once you’ve prioritized your life’s activities, assign your energy and focus to excelling in these one or two areas.
2. Every ant is a Spielberg—they direct themselves!
Ants are self-directed. They instinctively know and do their parts. Waiting for others to make our lives better leads to frustration. Accepting personal responsibility for our destiny enables us to engage in life from a position of power and possibility. When we recognize that we can actually craft an extraordinary life, the future becomes less fearful.
3. They practice delayed gratification and sharing!
If faced with securing a resource that appears too large to carry, an ant doesn’t walk away. Nor does he devour what he can in that moment. Instead, other ants instinctively pool their efforts to help him secure the resource. It is almost as if they understand that working together in the present, will prepare them for the upcoming winter season.
There is much to be learned from the ant’s willingness to forego immediate individual gratification in order to do what is best for the long haul. Two of the biggest threats to our dreams are temptation and lack of support. As we pursue our dreams and goals, temptation is inevitable. We will be tempted to quit, take short cuts, cheat and do what feels best at the moment. Like the ant, we will need a community of supporters to help us maintain focus. We must also guard our hearts against the lure of succeeding in isolation. Greed reasons that the spoils of success won’t have to be shared if you fly solo. But the reality is that going it alone is almost guaranteed failure. It is better to have a share in great success than to own a complete failure.
4. Strong jaws create great victories!
An ant can carry an object up to 5 times its own body weight because of the strength of its mouth. This same ant can move an object up to 20-25 times its body weight by dragging it with its jaws!
In life some things are too heavy to carry—but we can drag them! The fact that you aren’t sprinting towards the finish line does not mean you aren’t headed towards victory. Sometimes, like the ant, we have to drag our vision with us. That’s okay, remember, you are still making progress.
We must use the strength of our mouths to give us the winning edge. Negative speech saps our motivation. Changing our conversation can produce significant results in our attitudes and actions. Purpose to speak positive words! Professional athletes know that the winning edge is not simply a matter of skill, but a matter of attitude and perspective.
5. They are trailblazers!
Once an ant discovers a source of food, its body emits a chemical that enables other ants to track its path. They can then benefit from the newly discovered supply. Our successes are to be shared with others. In fact, sometimes, others benefit from them even more than we do. Each generation builds on the success of the one that came before.
Though they don’t soar like eagles or roar with the ferocity of the lion, ants are deserving of recognition, in their own right. They exemplify the amazing results that can be attained by chiseling away at the day by day.
Journaling Questions:
1. Which habit of the ant would best help you with your current challenges?
2. What successes of others have benefited you? How?
3. How can you share your success with others? |
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Model The Ant
Are you ready to commit to the chisel? I certainly hope so! Using the ant as our model, here are some powerful and practical steps you can take to sculpt your destiny.
- The power of the ant is in its focus. Over the next thirty days, in what area of your life would you like to see the most change? What one thing can you do in this area to produce the most powerful results?
- Identify a huge task in your life that seems overwhelming. Identify the mini-tasks or steps that comprise this large one. Think through them carefully and list them. How long would it take for you to accomplish this goal? Note: Here’s a place to set reasonable expectations that stretch you. For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds, setting a time frame of thirty days to lose it all is a sure recipe for disappointment. Instead, research healthy weight loss and then determine a realistic time frame that factors in your life roles and responsibilities.
- Imagine that you are an ant and you’ve been presented with the task of taking on one of your current challenges. Remembering that your strength is in your jaws, the power of your speech—what are five positive affirmations that you can make regarding your ability to achieve both your long-term goals and an immediate thirty-day goal? Write out the affirmations. Make copies and post them in easily visible places.
Dedicate a day of the week to each affirmation. Throughout the day, take a few moments to see yourself achieving the affirmation and accomplishing your goal. On the sixth day, journal the effects that you see and feel. On the seventh day, rest. Start the process of repeating the daily affirmation at the beginning of the next week. |
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The Carpenter’s Touch
In addition to being a verb, a chisel is a noun. It is a metal tool with a sharp beveled edge that is used to cut and shape stone, wood or metal. Another way to commit to the chisel is by pledging ourselves to the journey of growth and discovery that can be found under the chisel’s tip.
Though many of us launch into the future with rose-colored glasses, it doesn’t take long before we are rudely awakened to the life’s occasionally harsh realities. Loved ones die, lovers leave, friends let us down, jobs downsize and the list of possible disappointments is endless. Trials come to us all and when they do, we must craft our response. Will we resist the chisel and focus our time, thoughts and energy on the unfairness of it all? Or will we devote ourselves to becoming a work of art underneath the chisel’s edge?
Like it or not, hard times can serve a purpose. Fundamental to our relationship with Christ is the belief that God uses these times for our benefit. Our faith rests on His clear commitment to making all things work together for our good.* While some believe this means God authors all things, others understand it to mean He uses all things—even if He did not inspire them. Regardless of your perspective, it is clear that He promises to step in and remodel whenever necessary.
In Isaiah 44:13, the chisel is referenced as a tool in the carpenter’s work chest. In Matthew 4:19, we find that Jesus promises to give the natural giftings of the disciples a spiritual expression. A carpenter by trade, Jesus uses his natural abilities for a spiritual purpose. He specializes in building, shaping and creating an eternal glory in the heart of man.
Discipline is key to our discipling process. As we attempt to forge ahead towards our dreams, we must maintain a posture of faith and reliance upon God that pre-supposes His desire to do what is best for us, regardless of what we face. Our commitment to His purposes must be greater than our desire for the attainment of a vision.
In Hebrews 12:10-11, we see that when we approach our hardships with faith, we gain a greater revelation of God’s character. Compassion is produced by our ability to spiritually connect with others as a direct result of the pain we’ve personally endured.
Delays to our vision can be faced with full confidence when we know that the carpenter’s chisel is always at work in our lives. As we submit to Him, he is building His character and kingdom in our hearts.
Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 12:1-12
Romans 8:28 |
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